As mid-2013 comes into view, the crisis sparked by the international
mortgage meltdown is receding into memory, spreading a sense of relief. In
the eurozone, the debate is about austerity versus spending, but not
dissolution. Meanwhile, living conditions are rising in many parts of the
globe as millions join a swelling middle class. The expanding availability
of healthcare could have a profound effect as well. Yet some regions
continue to struggle. In our annual big-picture look at the world economy,
we'll discuss whether China and the U.S. can pull other players along and
how the debt bomb can be defused. What are the most potent trends steering
capital markets? Which industries are rising, which are fading, and what
governments are demonstrating they know how to solve problems? Can the
flare-up in the Middle East be contained and give way to democracy and
economic growth?

As mid-2013 comes into view, the crisis sparked by the international
mortgage meltdown is receding into memory, spreading a sense of relief. In
the eurozone, the debate is about austerity versus spending, but not
dissolution. Meanwhile, living conditions are rising in many parts of the
globe as millions join a swelling middle class. The expanding availability
of healthcare could have a profound effect as well. Yet some regions
continue to struggle. In our annual big-picture look at the world economy,
we'll discuss whether China and the U.S. can pull other players along and
how the debt bomb can be defused. What are the most potent trends steering
capital markets? Which industries are rising, which are fading, and what
governments are demonstrating they know how to solve problems? Can the
flare-up in the Middle East be contained and give way to democracy and
economic growth?